One of the beloved bugaboos bruited by EV boo-birds is that EV batteries will quickly wear out. Now that there are significant numbers of high-mileage EVs on the road, this deceitful dirge has been definitively debunked. Car and Driver (among many other sources) estimates that a typical EV battery should last between 10 and 20… Read more…

Northvolt, the battery startup founded in 2017 by two Tesla alums, was the Great European Hope that was supposed to free the Continent from dependence on Chinese EV battery production. And for a while, things were really rolling—the company raised billions and formed partnerships with several automakers. It managed to get a couple of facilities… Read more…

US battery materials manufacturer Ascend Elements is commissioning a new lithium carbonate recovery line at its battery recycling facility in Covington, Georgia in 2025 to start producing 99% pure lithium carbonate (Li₂CO₃) recovered from used lithium-ion batteries. The company plans to produce up to 3,000 metric tons of lithium carbonate annually. Its Hydro-to-Cathode direct precursor… Read more…

Global commerce platform WEX has formed a partnership with EV charger installation provider Qmerit to streamline the installation of chargers at the homes of commercial fleet drivers. Qmerit will provide end-to-end home EV charging installation and integration services from its national network of more than 23,000 electricians. WEX EV At-Home provides access to WEX’s fleet… Read more…

European logistics firm Contargo has become one of the first customers to take delivery of the new Mercedes eActros 600 electric semi-truck. The company is adding 20 units to its trimodal delivery fleet. Contargo’s battery-electric fleet now numbers 60 trucks, and that number will soon increase to 90. Contargo’s electric trucks were funded in part… Read more…

US-based Sakuu, which provides commercial-scale equipment and technologies to the battery manufacturing industry, will make its Kavian dry-process battery technology platform available for commercial orders in January 2025. The platform can dry-print anodes and various cathodes from lithium iron phosphate (LFP) and nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) electrodes. It also has the flexibility to support new… Read more…

Hitachi ZeroCarbon, a subsidiary of Japanese conglomerate Hitachi that provides technology for decarbonizing fleet vehicles, is supplying its battery management system to German airport shuttle bus manufacturer COBUS Industries. Hitachi will equip 100 e.COBUS Extended Range (ER) buses worldwide with its ZeroCarbon BatteryManager by 2025. BatteryManager will analyze the health and performance of the company’s… Read more…

Joby Aviation, a maker of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, has announced that its new electric air taxi has entered Type Inspection Authorization, the final phase of Federal Aviation Administration certification, and has completed the first phase of the FAA testing program to receive TIA. The first tests took place in the cockpit… Read more…

Red Bull North America has become the first customer for Isuzu’s new NRR-EV Class 5 electric box truck. The medium-duty trucks are now delivering cans of the neon-red sugar-and-caffeine concoction in Southern California. (We haven’t been able to learn how many units Red Bull bought, but a photo provided by the company shows six of… Read more…

German firm Molabo is introducing its new ISCAD (Intelligent Stator Cage Drive) motor technology to the off-highway, industrial and commercial vehicle markets. According to Molabo, most electrified off-highway vehicles are built on high-voltage automotive platforms. Molabo’s ISCAD motors operate at just 48 V, and can deliver 25-200 kW peak power and up to 150 kW… Read more…

There’s a growing consensus that curbside charging is the solution to the challenge of drivers who have no option of installing chargers at their homes. San Francisco is evaluating curbside charging solutions from three EV charging providers, and Mayor London Breed recently announced the next phase of the program. San Francisco’s Curbside EV Charging Pilot… Read more…

Brighton and Hove Council in the south of England has received a £2.8-million ($3.5-million) government grant to install 500 public EV charging points every year for the next three years. New contracts, to be awarded in 2025, will also offer more choice and flexible tariffs, including off-peak rates and access to more than 2,000 charging… Read more…

Materials recovered from end-of-life batteries and gigafactory scrap have the potential to build up to 2.4 million EVs in Europe by the end of the decade, cutting the continent’s reliance on mineral imports, according to research by non-governmental sustainability group Transport & Environment (T&E). Recycling spent battery cells and production scrap could provide 14% of… Read more…

Tivolt Electric Vehicles, an EV venture of Indian conglomerate Murugappa Group, has signed an agreement with Tata Power Renewable Energy to build an EV charging ecosystem for commercial fleets. The companies will use Tata Power’s experience in setting up and managing an expansive EV charging infrastructure to provide Tivolt’s growing network of small electric commercial… Read more…

US automaker GM is extending its 14-year collaboration with South Korean battery maker LG Energy Solution to develop prismatic cell technology. GM expects the cells that the companies develop to power its future EV models, as part of its strategy to diversify its supply chain, using multiple chemistries and form factors. GM will continue to… Read more…

Taiga Motors, which formerly positioned itself as a leader in snowmobile fleet electrification in the Nordic region and filed for creditor protection in Quebec last summer, is now under the control of a UK entrepreneur, Stewart Wilkinson. The word “taiga” means “boreal forest” or “snow forest.” Taiga also manufactures electric watercraft. In July, the company… Read more…

The US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Loan Programs Office (LPO) has closed a direct loan of up to $9.63 billion to BlueOval SK, a joint venture between Ford and South Korean battery supplier SK On, for the construction of up to three manufacturing plants to produce batteries for Ford’s future Ford and Lincoln EVs. The plants—one located… Read more…

Wallbox Chargers has announced that its Supernova DC fast charger has been certified as compliant with Germany’s Mess- und Eichgesetz, or Measurement and Calibration Law. Eichrecht, as it is typically referred to, is Germany’s measurement and calibration legal framework. In the case of EV chargers, it standardizes how charging stations measure and record energy consumption…. Read more…

IONNA, the charging network founded by eight of the world’s top automakers—BMW, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, Kia, Stellantis and Toyota—has formed a strategic partnership with Mid-Atlantic restaurant and convenience chain Sheetz. IONNA opened EV Rechargeries at three Sheetz locations in late December 2024: Springfield and Willoughby, Ohio; and Scranton, Pennsylvania. Sheetz is expanding its… Read more…

American Battery Technology Company (ABTC), which is commercializing manufacturing and recycling technologies has joined the US Department of Energy’s Battery Workforce Challenge and launched a new Design for Recyclability category for the three-year collegiate and vocational engineering competition. The Battery Workforce Challenge supports 12 North American university teams and their regional vocational partners that are each… Read more…